Names in Zambia

[onlyMark]

For want of something better to do I'd like to introduce you to some people.
These are those with an interesting name, or at least I think so.
Obviously there are many with tribal names, but I'll probably leave them and focus on the ones who have at least something understandable in them. I've been meaning to do this for a while ever since we first arrived and we became confused over who was who when we were mentioning Denson, Robson, Hobson, Banda and Phiri - there are a lot of them and we noticed we were meeting quite a few.

The following can't be confused with anyone else. I do like the imagination and lack of conformity with the usual names we know.

Enrique Sheddy Luh
Nimrod Soko
Own Chibwana
Golden Kamwendo
Pretty Kapopo Mwela
Need Mulenga
Speedwell Mupuchi
Sam Sam Kahula
Innocent Phiri
Thomson Ivwananji Mukosha III
David Scholar Tesla Chibamba
Lovemore Manjoro Mumba
Lazarous Simwanza
Rowan Shakespeare
Caldercious Wealthy Mfula
Ignatius Mwansa Shilangwa‎
ComradeDerricks Mwendafilumba
Rueben K. Mwanza
Moffat Zulu
Gift Kaliye
Kunda Gospel Evans
Bwana Mbeu F Lungu
Boñfäcé K Bãndãe
Anderson McAndy Mwanza

If I come across any more interesting ones, I'll see about posting them.

[cheerypeabrain]

They are very groovy names

[kerouac2]

I learned to appreciate names like that when reading the series of books by Alexander McCall Smith (not a funny name) about people in Botswana. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, etc. I sometimes wonder if one has to be a bit racist to like them, but I decided not. I think that Africans like these novels, too, because they respect traditional African values.

[whatagain]

We should do a thread with names. In Quebec I saw some ladouceur
In Belgium of course we have among others the Vandeput which brings a smile from the french who don't translate into the well but hear the whore.
The funniest person I ever met was called Israel Bonaventure. The guy was black so calling his name Israel was a good kick for the racists if all kinds ...

[mickthecactus]

Great names Mark. My late mother in law’s carer was called Gifty.

In Maori New Zealand wasn’t there somebody called Number 13 Bus Stop?

[kerouac2]

Everybody knows that in (French) West Africa, there are a lot of people called Fet Nat, because they used the French calendar with all of the saints to name their children, and on July 14th, it is marked Fet. Nat. for Fête Nationale -- Bastille Day to Anglophones.

[lagatta]

I have a Congolese friend (brilliant scholar) whose given names are Jean Peut-Être. I don't think this is racist. These different African peoples have a lot of imagination.

As for Ladouceur, Lafleur etc, these were noms de guerre.

[onlyMark]

The Ladies Detective Agency books I read and could relate to many things being the same in Zambia.
As regards French names, obviously that will just go over my head though if you want to mention German ones, those I can translate easy enough.
Mick, then you have the British ones where all the names of a favourite football team are used.
There are some countries, and I think Germany is included, where unusual names can be forbidden and maybe there is even a list of acceptable names.

[kerouac2]

Same in France -- names can be forbidden for all sorts of reasons, although the rules have loosened up over the years. But the French will still prevent people from calling their children things like M&Ms, Carrefour or Satan on the basis that this could cause great hardship in school. French names used to be only the ones of official saints but now of course all sorts of foreign names are accepted -- Abdul, Brandon, Dylan, Hakim, etc.

[lagatta]

Bet there was a spate of Kylians and Mbappés after the World Cup...

[bjd]

We have an 8-year-old Kylian living next door. I don't know where the name comes from.

[mickthecactus]

The West Indies cricket team have a Shimron Hetmyer playing.

[kerouac2]

Kylian is an Irish first name. In France it is more popular in northern and western areas, and is even more popular in all of the overseas departments. As for Kylian Mbappé, he was born in Paris of an Algerian mother and a Cameroonian father and went to Catholic school.